Update on Mya Wai

!!MYA WAI TRANSFERRED TO USHIKU!!
Mya Wai, the activist who has been detained by immigration
authorities in Japan because of lack of legal status in Japan,
was transferred to the detention center at Ushiku on 1 October.
Transfer to the Ushiku center is generally taken as the last step
before finally deporting the 'overstayer'.
(Please see previous posting for Mya Wai's background information.)
Since he was detained on 13 August Mya Wai had been at the detention
center at Jujo which is in Tokyo. On 1 October the immigration
authorities transferred him to the center at Ushiku (about 1.5 hours
by car from downtown Tokyo). None of Mya Wai's lawyers were
informed.
On 9 October the lawyers filed two lawsuits on Mya Wai's case against
the Minister of Justice, one demanding the cancellation of the denial
of his application for refugee status, and the other demanding the
cancellation of the issue of the order to repatriate). Soon after the
suits were filed, the Ministry of Justice informed the lawyers that
Mya Wai will not be repatriated for two weeks, as it would take
two weeks for the Ministry of Justice to submit a statement in
response to the suits.
Mya Wai has a record of arrests and torture by the SLORC when he
was in Burma because of his participation in pro-democracy activities.
He is also known to the SLORC as an activist in Japan and his photos
have appeared in government newspapers in which the SLORC accuses him as
having been involved in the parcel bomb incident in April.
It is extremely dangerous for him to be repatriated, although
the immigration authorities do not seem to realize this in spite of
efforts by lawyers and concerned citizens.
As stated above, transfer to Ushiku is generally done shortly before
repatriation. Although the Ministry of Justice has promised not to
repatriate him for two weeks, Mya Wai remains in a very unstable
condition. We are of the opinion that he should be released,
especially as the recent lawsuits are likely to take at least six
months.
Please write to the Japanese immigration authorities! Please ask them
not to repatriate Mya Wai and to reconsider his application for
provisional release.